Netflix has long been one of the premier streaming services to house the adventures of Ash Ketchum and Pikachu. While the platform has since moved past Ash thanks to Pokémon Horizons focusing on new stars Liko and Roy, the story of how Ketchum became the world champion was still a part of the streaming library. Unfortunately, it appears as though Pokemon Journeys’ tenure as a part of Netflix might be ending soon, as a recent update on the platform’s catalogue was released. With the removal date coming in fast, there might be light at the end of the tunnel if history is any indication.
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In a recent report, it was revealed that Netflix plans on losing some major Pokemon entries on September 10th next month. The series listed currently includes Pokemon Journey: The Series, Pokemon Master Journeys: The Series, Pokemon Ultimate Journeys: The Series, and finally, Pokemon: To Be a Pokemon Master: Ultimate Journeys: The Series. Netflix has gone down this road before, as even last year, these series were said to be getting the ax from the streaming service. However, the platform did reverse course and give Ash’s final adventures another chance, so it’s entirely possible that the same could be true for this fall. Still, if you want to revisit Ketchum’s world championship victory, now might be the time.
Where is Ash Anyway?
Luckily, Pokemon Horizons can be watched on Netflix to this day, with no plans made regarding the loss of previous installments of the latest anime. While North America is still playing catch-up with the series airing in Japan, the platform has been releasing large chunks of episodes in the past. Fingers crossed that we’ll still have a long history with Pokémon and Netflix on the way, as the anime adaptation has had some difficulty in collecting all of its many episodes under one roof.
As for Ash and Pikachu, anime viewers still aren’t sure where they are, or if Liko and Roy’s story even takes place in the same timeline as the previous protagonists. In previous interviews, creators behind the scenes have stated that it is very possible that Ketchum might make a return in the future, though nothing is set in stone. Certainly, seeing an aged-up Ash and/or a World Championship Ketchum defending his title would make for some great stories, but as of the writing of this article, who is to say when the former star and his Pikachu will return?
With Pokemon Horizons still marching forward, this fall will also see the release of Pokemon Legends: Z to A, the next entry in the long-running Nintendo video game franchise. Releasing on October 16th this fall, the game is planning to adapt a style very close to that of its predecessor, Arceus. We don’t expect Ash to make an appearance in this entry, as he has been mostly absent from all the video games, but stranger things have happened.
Want to see if Ash ever makes his grand return to the anime world? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Pokemon and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
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